POL 342 1

Term Paper
POL 342

Term Paper
POL 342
Wasma Imran- 17020483

Wasma Imran (17020483)

Wasma Imran
2017-02-0483
Pol 342: International Political Economy
30-03-2015
Term Paper
What was the economic and political impact of Boleshevik Revolution on Soviet Russia,
and its implications on international relations for the country?
One of the effects of World War 1 included weakening of the Tsarist regime of Soviet
Russia, which ultimately led to its decline and consolidation of power by a provisional
government. The provisional government also failed to achieve a stronghold on Russia and
almost immediately failed to bring about any improvement in the weak state which then was not
only economically crippled but no party in Russia at this point was trained for advancing
political leadership of the country either. 1The revolution took place during the first period of the
World War 1 (1917) and was responsible for effectively pulling the country out of war. The
revolution occurred in two stages- the first stage took place in February 1917 while the second
happened in October 2017. This fall of the Tsarist regime turned the nation from an Empire to
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). This meant that the worlds first Communist State
came into being, propagating ideals proposed by Karl Marx. This new Communist State was led

1 Hunt and Lautzenheiser The Bolshevik Revolution and Industry in USSR

by the Marxist leader Vladimir Lenin. The army of Lenin came to be known as the Red Army,
which was essentially up against the Capitalist White Army.
This paper explores the economic impact of the revolution by examining principles
(collectivization of land in particular) applied by Lenin and later on Stalin to move Russia in the
direction of a purely communist state. It further reveals the political implications of the
Bolshevik Revolution by relating it to concepts of power, structure and hegemony. Lastly, the
paper discovers how the revolution affected relations of Soviet Russia with other countries- both
in the West and in the East. This is done by examining trade relations as well as support extended
to USSR by these countries.
As already mentioned before, the World War 1 had left the economy of Russia in
shambles. It is then not hard to establish how the economy of Russia was affected by the
revolution because what the revolts tried to achieve was economic stability and growth and if not
much, an upward trend was experience by Russia.
As the Bolsheviks assumed power over USSR, they were adamant that the country must
be aligned with the communist principles proposed by Karl Marx. For Marx, a communist
nations base was to be made on an industrial society but Russia did not fulfill this criteria for a
communist nation. For this, Trotsky and Bukharin both agreed that industrialization had to come
about to create surplus that could then be exported and money could be earned by the labor force,
but the routes chosen by both were extremely different. This disagreement in views was tactfully
played by Stalin who assumed control all for himself eventually playing the two parties against
each other2.
2 Hunt and Lautzenheiser The Bolshevik Revolution and Industry in USSR

The way Lenin had planned for the entry of state led collectivization was very different
than what was actually practiced by Stalin were different. The nature of these were although
same, but Lenin had planned for a more gradual transition to collectivization. To start, will be
useful to initially comment on what collectivization in essence was. Collectivization was a
process that ultimately pushed a country to adopt a socialist or communist character because it
invite dthe society to adopt a collective approach of owning land. It propogated ownership of
land in large rather than small landholdings so that wealth of a nation could be shared with
people in the nantion rather than accumulated in the hands of a few people who would use it only
to their advantage.
As Lenin died and Stalin took absolute control in 1924, Stalin was extremely quick in
moving the country on the road to collectivization3. What this collectivization essentially meant
was that farmers were not allowed to hold small plots of land, rather they had to practice
agriculture on large plots. This would mean that no extra profit could to be made by private
owners of huge land but the profits and crops will be shared among communities. Such a practice
was also to encourage the use of technology on farms as large land holdings would not be easily
managed by single landowners and for cropping and harvesting the use of tractors and other tools
became essential. This would naturally force farmers to buy manufactured tools which would in
turn boost the industrial sector. It was also decided that taxes would be levied on the farmers in
proportion with the profit gained by them on selling. This would mean surpluses were created
which were then used to carry out trade.

3 Political EconomyA Textbook. (Moscow, 1963), Polish edition, (Warsaw, 1963), 356
Fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism, English language edition (Moscow, 1961), 678

Stalins hasty attitude is although debated upon in several sources which claim he was not
sure of this move himself and was rather hesitant to make this move. It was only that the
situation of the hour after the devastation caused by World War made it absolutely necessary for
this to be applied4. This view is although only a singular view and not more than this is found
relating this case.
By the speed of Stalins implementation of the five year plan including principles such as
nationalization of land, it can be seen that Stalin was heading a certain direction with the country.
This direction was definitely of advancing the economic plight of the country.
While in 1929 the government announced that it supported collectivization in only 1930
it started to force farmers to practice collectivization. While the success of collectivization was
largely debated on, it is true that the principle drastically increased the collection of grain in
Russia. It is claimed that the amount of harvest of grain nearly doubled from 1930 to 19315. This
ultimately also meant that industrialization was coming in vogue. To prove this point, it can be
noted that in 1930s the annual growth rate of industrialization came out to be 16 percent. A clear
transformation in society was also evident as the urban class grew largely in only two years
while the rural class declined in number.
Apart from the principal of collectivization to achieve industrialization indirectly, direct
efforts were also made to industrialize Russia. This was another thing on Stalins agenda after he
came to power because the economic conditions of the country demanded for such a move to be

4 O. A. Narkievicz Stalin, War Communism and Collectivism,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/149830
5 Ibid

taken6. The move towards industrialization did not only start as Stalkin came to power but as
Lenin was summoned to office he worked on a couple of things and one of these things was
industrialization. Some other ways how this was changed was though working to introduce better
labour conditions for people working in the factories. Moreover, as Lenin had realized how mnay
people were poor and needed a general uplift in their lives the leninits also tried to work on
things like providing free education to the citizens, although the scarce resource did not allow for
this7. Not everyone liked this principle of collectivization though and not everyone even fared
well as a result of this. Rich landowners were annoyed at giving their land away because ethjy
had worked hard to have what they had now in many situations. This principles was only favored
by poor farmers or small land owners because they essentially gained as a result of getting larger
larer holdings for themselves.
The five-year plan set out by Stalin at the start to 1929 included nothing but policies to
ensure Russian because industrialized because that was one hindrance created for the nation to be
called as a communist nation. In the history of USSR, this was perhaps the time that marks
change of society from an agrarian to an industrial one.
The first Five Year Plan introduced in 1928, concentrated on the development of iron
and steel, machine-tools, electric power and transport. Joseph Stalin set the workers high targets.
He demanded a 110% increase in coal production, 200% increase in iron production and 335%
6 Stalin and the Drive to Industrialize the Soviet
Unionhttp://www.studentpulse.com/articles/8/stalin-and-the-drive-to-industrialize-the-sovietunion?utm_expid=22625156-1.1oVmLNouSzG2KmHNJRPgPA.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F
%2Fwww.google.com.pk%2F

7 Lenins Political Parties http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/implementationleninism-grade-11

increase in electric power8 This five year plan was very far sighted in the sense that it tied to
achieve a lot of things in the economy that were not very feasible to be achieved.
Expanding on the political aspect of the results of revolution one can see that USSR had
been completely politically eroded as it advanced from a Tsarist nation to a party system where
instead of ruling by divine right people had to persuade people why they should be in power. As
the empire was removed, the biggest drawback perhaps was that no one in Russia was politically
trained to take up leadership. This indeed is proved as we see the provisional government failed
so quickly. As Lenin came to power his agenda was to ensure two things mainly; end of war for
Russia and making sure the provisional government was to be replaced by a soviet one. Lenin
did indeed fulfill his promises and achieved both things that he stood by.
It is not a surprise that Lenins government died out soon as well because the Bolsheviks
were not at all trained in politics and whatever that was done was on the whim on the moment.
The ideas of Lenin however did live on and continued to be influential for the following
generations. Lenin built his ideas on Marxism but in some places his ideas also differed from
those of Marxism. The basic difference was although only because of the change in time period
that the two lived. Both the nations wanted to have a a collectivist society where not only society
was living as one but also where the ealth of the nation was shared among all people equally by
applying for example the principle of collectivization in terms of landholdings in the country. It
is interesting to note that as Trotsky and Bukharin argued for their separate ideologies, very
smartly Stalin used the antagonistic relations to use and first aligned himself with Bukharin to
gain his support and defeat Lenin and after that played Bukharin off already. 9

8 Stalins Five Year Plan http://spartacus-educational.com/RUSfive.htm

The way power played a role here is interesting. Active power consists of sanctions like
coercion, manipulation and deterrent. In the case of Stalin, such power relations did come into
play and he effectively made use of power resources. Stalin used manipulation to achieve this
result, by convincing conservatives that he was part of them and then used coercion to take over
Russia. Analyzing this dimension further it can be noted that out of the three dimensions of
power; over, covert and structural, Stalin did indeed make use of at least two. To make sure he
was well respected and known among the parties he made a point of using covert power by only
using talking to convince and not anything to make them unwillingly surrender. After this overt
power was also used to make sure Stalins rule was then consolidated in Russia10.
The discussion on the use of power above is both relevant and very important in the sense
that it allows one to learn about not only a leader but it also shows how people perceive a leader
and how they act upon things that are mentioned by them.
Examining the effects of the revolution on Russias international relations involves
figuring how relations of Russia were affected after the revolution took place. It is important to
realize what the political and economic aims of Russia at this point were to see why any country
would form alliance to them or go against them.
Russia was as mentioned above ruled by the Red Army as revolution took place. The
principle the country was governed on as this took place was of socialism which would
eventually lead to communism. This principle essentially told a story of the fate of an
industrial nation and said once a country had industrialized, the workers or the beorgesie- who
9 Hunt and Lautzenheiser The Bolshevik Revolution and Industry in USSR
10 Gill and Law Power, Structure and Hegemony

will be treated like only extensions of machines at that point with no real meaning to what they
are doing, and low wages to reward their work, would rise against the system. As these workers
unite they will turn the system over and this will the beginning of an era where common men or
workers will rule.
Countries in the West mostly championed an idea that was in clear constratst with this
idea of communism. It talked of highly industrial nations which would continue growing for the
desire to gain higher profit would motivate them to continue going, This principle was that of
free market and privatization. Many big powers of the world including the US- which later on
emerged as the biggest enemy of the US and the ideology of communism.
It can be seen that major changes came about in the way the country was seen. Moreover,
with its aim of propagating communism to the rest of the world suspicion arose in some
countries.
As the Red Army fought to gain power, the capitalist nations such as the United States of
America made a point of sending as troops and weapons to the White Army. The communist
agenda was aimed to be contained by the Western powers rather than encourage it. Many
countries in Eastern Europe like Siberia and Manchuria fell to communism. Even China
committed to communism after the model in Russia had been seem to be working there11. Seeing
these effects President Wilson Woodrow took special notice and adopted a policy of intervention
to make sure Russias open door was maintained.
Trade with countries other than communist ones was completely banned by USSR. The
USSR was actively capitalizing on the power of allies and trying to use these to their advantage.
11 Betty Miller Unterberger The Russian Revolution and Wilsons Far-East Policy

This shows how USSR wanted to create a whole block of countries that were communist in
nature. It also shows that communist countries such as Russia were not at all prepared to face
criticism against their own ideology, something that has to come in order to fare well.
Despite trying to contain communism many countries including some in the South America
(Cuba) fell to communism. The basic reason was the hope that communism granted to the
citizens of a nation. As an idea communism always appeared to be benefitting the poor, more
oever of telling the poor population that they were important and that they mattered to the overall
success of the country. This is a reason why many weak economies around the world initially
committed to this principle.
Pakistan did not form a communist party but in 1948 India formed its communist party as well.
Nehru was also greatly impressed by communism and used the principles in many ways- for
example by introducing secularism in the country and although private production was carried
out it was tried that the country kept principles such as sense of community alive.
To summarize only what the economic and political impact of a Russia that had recently faced
revolution, certain conclusions can be drawn.
Firstly, the economic condition of the country was weak and the economy needed to be set in the
direction of industrialization and gaining surplus, something that was tried by not only the
Leninists or Trotsky but the principle was widely accepted and tried to be implemented with
every leader or person up in the political ladder. The effect was to have a lot of focus to be placed
on this principle and extra efforts dedicated to this part. When Stalin came and gave his fuve year
plan as well it is obvious that he wanted to fulfill the criteria tht Marx had specified for a

communist nation because he stated a nation could not be successful unless it had complted the
route to communism as advised by him.
On the political front also, there was a lot of focus of peace and end to war for Russia but the
basic principles that were used to achieve this effect were power used to effectively influence
decisions for Russia. The use of this power brought about greater repercussions for the country
as a whole because the country somewhat came under the effect of having a strong, assertive
leadership which would push through and use coercion as well if initially there was not
agreement on a certain principle. International relations only showed the split between Russia
and those countries that were not ideology same. The relations therefore were a direct result of
the kind of ideology they had and relations were effectively built on this principle.

Works Cited
Political EconomyA Textbook. (Moscow, 1963), Polish edition, (Warsaw, 1963), 356
Fundamentals of Marxism

Leninism, English language edition (Moscow, 1961), 678

Hunt and Lautzenheiser The Bolshevik Revolution and Industry in USSR n.a
O. A. Narkievicz Stalin, War Communism and Collectivism,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/149830

Keefe Joshua R, Stalin and the Drive to Industrialize the Soviet Union
http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/8/stalin-and-the-drive-to-industrialize-the-soviet
union?utm_expid=22625156Lenins Political Parties http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/implementation-leninism-grade-11
Stalins Five Year Plan http://spartacus-educational.com/RUSfive.htm
Betty Miller Unterberger The Russian Revolution and Wilsons Far-East Policy
Gill and Law Power, Structure and Hegemony